It is a truth universally acknowledgedthat a lady can do anything a man can do:backwards and in high-heeled dancing slippers.

Lady Juliana, daughter of the Earl of St. Maur, needs all the help she can get. She's running a ramshackle orphanage, London's worst slumlord has illicit designs on her, and her father has suddenly become determined to marry her off.

Enter Major Neil Wraxall, bastard son of the Marquess of Kensington, sent to assist Lady Juliana in any way he can. Lucky for her, he's handy with repairs, knows how to keep her and the orphans safe, and is a natural leader of men.

Unfortunately for both of them, the scandal that ensues from their mutual attraction is going to lead them a merry dance...

No Earls Allowed

(The Survivors #2)

By Shana Galen

He was always ready to dance with the devil…

I didn’t know what to write about No Earls Allowed. Well, I knew what I wanted to write but it seemed a little inappropriate to start my review talking about sex. Obviously, when we’re talking about romance books, the intimate scenes can play a pivotal role in whether you enjoy the story or not. So, I suppose it’s not a bad thing that I’m going to tell you why one of the highlights of the story was the sexy times. Inappropriate or not…here goes.

I think I may have overdosed on smut. Shocked? Yes, well I’m a little gobsmacked myself. I’m even starting to skim or get distracted when I’m reading or listening to the sexy times.

So, what made No Earls Allowed different? I think it may be that the hero, Neil, took the repercussions of passion leading to children born out of wedlock VERY seriously. From his own experience, he knows what it’s like to be ostracised, talked about and neglected because of his parents. It was refreshing to see someone take responsibility for his passion and wasn’t willing to risk a mistake for his pleasure. Don’t get me wrong, Neil still manages to get and give pleasure. It just wasn’t all about…his silky steel member (😳) needed to be thrusting (🤨) into her tight, sweet and wet folds (🙄). ***Not a quote, just how all sexy times read to me these days.***

Anyway, what made me stop and appreciate the sexy times especially in this one, was that lust didn’t overtake common sense. Some of the sexiest scenes I’ve read have been more about the touching, the feeling and the connecting. Neil was still able to show how much he wanted and desired Juliana, but, managed to stay strong in his beliefs and choices. Juliana was able to take a risk with her reputation because she trusted Neil. Juliana knew that he wouldn’t damage her reputation or put in jeopardy her role as a carer to 12 orphaned boys.

I suppose, in all that dribble, I’ve managed to tell you quite a bit about the story. Our hero is an intelligent man who is not ruled by his own pleasure and our heroine takes the job of caring for 12 orphaned boys very seriously. What happens around both Neil and Juliana are exactly that, surrounding them. Once they learn to accept each other, they realise their strength is in fighting their battles as a team.

This was the first story I’ve read by Shana Galen and I found myself captivated by her Survivors. This band of men who had bonded through the war appealed to me. With no questions asked, each would put on their dancing shoes to “dance with the devil” and have the others back. I loved that it wasn’t just a physical protection they offered each other. They all cared about their mental well-being too.

I really enjoyed No Earls Allowed. The characters were interesting, the storyline kept my attention from start to finish and the connection between Neil and Juliana jumped off the pages. No Earls Allowed touches on subjects like PTSD, infidelities, parental rights, bribery, intimidation, extortion and child abuse. I didn’t read the first book in the series, but I am very tempted to go back…and I’m REALLY excited to go forwards. I can’t wait to get my hands on Rafe…the sexy Rogue’s story.